It is considered by many to be a REALLY BAD IDEA to convert one lossy format to another. Since each format strips data it feels the human ear will not perceive (sp?). Since both formats assume the rest of the data was NOT removed by some other lossy compression method, it is quite possible to end up with sound file that sounds AWEFUL in the end, because too much data was removed. Once it's compressed leave it alone, it's the best rule of thumb when it comes to lossy compressed audio. You want to make an Audio CD, that's fine, just don't rip that CD again.
You are correct though, that iTunes will happily convert your WMA files to AAC or MP3 for you.
Apple has always claimed that iTunes and the iPod will not get WMA support till it gets 50% markey share.
Well, I agree 100% with your assessment of FairPlay. Apple won't license it. And they have a good reason. The iTMS is there to help the sale of iPods. If they licensensed it to other hardware makers, well, they would lose iPod business.
As for licensing it to other music stories... They should, but the whole iPod/iTunes/iTMS combo has a very good end user experience.
As for me being sick of these iTMS comparisons, all the reviews talk about AAC being some proprietary Apple format. No one talks about FairPlay. They may mean FairPlay and call it AAC, but if they do, THEY need to get their facts straight, and not me. I still stand by the fact that AAC is a patent encumbered OPEN format, while WMA is a MS Proprietary format.
Personally, I would like the iPod and iTunes to add native OGG suppport. I don't think Apple should sell OGG files in the iTMS (because of the need for DRM), but I prefer to rip all my music to OGG. But, you rip to the format your player supports. Before you argue that I could have bought a player that did OGG, the iPod was a gift from my wife, so I did not have the choice.
Wm-9 is a VIDEO CODEC, and not audio. WMA (Windows Media Audio) is most definitely a proprietary Microsoft codec.
I know the record industry requires DRM, but they really shouldn't. I would rather buy a CD and rip it, than deal with DRMed music. Apple did one better, by allowing you to move you DRMed files to another Mac, but it's still DRMed.
You know, all the reviews pan Apple for providing their songs in a "proprietary" format, which is called AAC. AAC is actually a patent encumbered open standard.
Well, all the other stores, be they MSN Beta, Napster, or buymusic.com all provide songs in WMP format, which I believe is a PROPRIEATRY PATENTED FORMAT, last I checked.
The reason why iTunes and the iPod don't use WMA is because Apple DOES NOT want to give Microsoft a cut every time a Mac or an iPod is sold.
People seem to forget that the iPod and iTunes happily play MP3 files, as well AIFF, and WAV files as well as AAC.
There was also a note about the MP3 decoding chips inside the iPod. The exact same chip is used in a number of other players that are Windows only. That chip will happily decode, MP3s, AACs and WMA files. Apple pays the licensing for AAC, but refuses to pay to license WMA. Well, the makers of the other players don't want to pay Dolby a license to be able to play AAC files, hence why their firmware doesn't use the AAC. They could easily turn on AAC and write a plugin for iTunes and the thing would work with iTunes then (at least the non DRMed stuff).
Since I have an iPod, I started ripping stuff to 192K AAC, but have since switched to 256 VBR Lame MP3 files. My iPod has no issue with these files whatsoever and iTunes plays them happily.
If Apple and Microsoft wanted to use a REAL open standard (just because most PCs ship with WinXP, and WMP is FORCE BUNDLED with them DOES NOT make WMA a standard), they would offer songs in MP3 or Ogg Vorbis format.
Remember, most people who run Mozilla, Opera, or any other "alternative browser", have their ID string set to identify them as IE, to prevent certain sites from blocking them. I do this on my corporate intranet site, cause everything except IE is blocked. It's a shame we can't see how many browsers masquerade as IE. Perhaps another bit of Javascript code that identifies the REAL browser, so true statistics can be tracked.
1. I carefully screen my kids daycare to make sure everything there is legal 2. I check my bank to make sure no illegal activities go on there. 3. I make sure my employer does not break any laws 4. I invite no felons into my house to have supper with me 5. I drive a car from a company that never ignored safety in favor of corportate profits (can you say Pinto? I knew you could....)
Why the HELL would I allow a lawbreaking monopolist onto my computer? Enough perjury happened in that damn trial to help pay the national debt!
I have 2 computers, one runs MacOS X and the other runs Fedora Core 1. And that's the way it's staying.
If you're given the hardware for free and be forced to buy a software subscription to Windows in order to GET the hardware, where does that leave Linux. Basically you will be forced to buy an OS you never plan to use. So we should say Gates and McNealy HOPE that hardware will be free, but I doubt we will ever get there.
Software subscriptions also insure constant revenues for software companies. Under the EULA, Office 2003 could just stop to work one day, because you only have a 2 year subscription.
The only way to get around this problem is to use a server that uses Maildir instead of mbox. When I upgraded my Linux box to maildir, everyone was quite happy.
Ok, If I wanted to download and install a Linux distro that is relatively modern (Samba 3.0 and such) and I could get pay per incident support, what would you recommend? Because that is what I wanted out of RedHat. I install ISOs of the current version and give them a credit card number should I need help.
I did Atkisn for over a year and lost about 100 pounds on it. The whole time I was monitored by my doctor and my blood chemistry improved DRAMATICALLY. If you've never been on Atkins and have NEVER EVEN read the book, then I would say, SHUT THE HELL UP, before you go and make comments about this diet.
Sure you eat more fat and protein than the average guy, but NOWHERE does Atkins tell you to go and deep fry everything you eat, or cut all veggies out of your diet. And he STRESSES beyond anything else to take vitamin supplements because he says it is an UNBALANCED DIET and you have to get yourself IN BALANCE once you get to your goal weight. That's where you start the maintenance phase.
The hardest part of the diet for any geek would be the complete lack of caffeine on the diet.
Well, you would use the PIM that comes with your enterpise mail app. If you have an Exchnage server, you give the user Outlook, if you have GroupWise, you give the user GroupWise. And if you have Domino, you give the user Notes. It's only in the SOHO environment where you'd need a PIM. In the enterprise environment, the PIM is already there waiting for you.
There needs to be a clause that GPLed software cannot be used in a product owned and distributed by a company that is bringing legal action against a company or person that is using or distributing GPLed software. Use of GPLed software in such a manner is punishable by a $100,000 donation to the FSF and having RMS speak at your next company picnic.
Well, we have GnuCash here that is in danger here and it has no way of exporting your data. Now there is a scary thought.
One thing I have to say is that the most important feature for me in a financial app is cross platform use. Because of that, I chose to spend money on Moneydance. It's written in Java and has great support. I run it on my Mac at home on both my Windows and Linux partitions on my laptop.
If you prefer to go the free software route, there is jGnash, whch will also run on various OSes, becuase it's also written in Java.
GnuCash is good product, but it has way too many dependancies and relies way to heavily on Gnome. Because of that, it can't be ported to Windows of MacOS X, even though there are native GTK libraries for both those environments. Perhaps the GnuCash team should focus on making a really good accounting engine and allow others to wrap GUIs of any kind around them.
A personal financial app is very important to the Linux desktop. I think it's far too important for the application to be in jeapordy of disappearing. Perhaps someone like Ximian should add this to their list of software, or the FSF should turn around and get some people coding full time on this with a grant.
I have taken an AAC encoded file on Mac (not one downloaded from the iTMS) and moved it to a PC and used WinAMP to play it.. To get it play in WinAMP, I needed to change the extension to.MP4 or.AAC and then it plays. But it does not display any of the tag information, and no cover art.
Having said that, I find the iTunes experience MUCH better than WinAMP. If you get iTunes for Windows, I would tend to think that won't want to use WinAMP anymore, since iTunes does it all.
One of the big flaws with the DRM on Microsoft's side has been that DRM is locked to the workstation. The iTunes Music Store did away with that, by allowing music to be locked to the person that bought it. You can easily authorize and deauthorize ANY Macintosh anywhere to be able to play your music.
Also, ALL songs on the iTMS have the SAME restrictions: unlimited CD burning. unlimited iPods, and up to 3 Macs. This makes life sooo much easier for the end user. If the end user has to deal with different restrictions on different songs, then eventually they are going to just give up and go back to Kazaa or buy CDs.
Making the life of the end user easy is what Apple has focused on since the first MacOS. Sure, power users may get annoyed with limitations in some of the iApps Apple releases, but in the end the Mac is the only UNIX box on the planet that just about everyone's grandmom could use.
I don't know if anyone read an interview a while back with McBride, but he's claiming 2 other points:
1. ALL modern operating systems are dervied from Sys V UNIX and they may be due royalties from companies like Microsoft and Novell.
2. SCO feels there were errors in the original agreement from Berkely and AT&T and they think they will need to audit all the BSD kernels to make sure no SCO IP was left in those kernels after the AT&T agreement.
So, basically, if you make an OS of any kind whatsoever, you owe SCO royalties.
You go WEEKS without rebooting? And you call this a good thing. Are Novell servers go MONTHS without rebooting. Our Solaris boxes have been up a year or longer.
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It is considered by many to be a REALLY BAD IDEA to convert one lossy format to another. Since each format strips data it feels the human ear will not perceive (sp?). Since both formats assume the rest of the data was NOT removed by some other lossy compression method, it is quite possible to end up with sound file that sounds AWEFUL in the end, because too much data was removed. Once it's compressed leave it alone, it's the best rule of thumb when it comes to lossy compressed audio. You want to make an Audio CD, that's fine, just don't rip that CD again.
You are correct though, that iTunes will happily convert your WMA files to AAC or MP3 for you.
Apple has always claimed that iTunes and the iPod will not get WMA support till it gets 50% markey share.
Well, I agree 100% with your assessment of FairPlay. Apple won't license it. And they have a good reason. The iTMS is there to help the sale of iPods. If they licensensed it to other hardware makers, well, they would lose iPod business.
As for licensing it to other music stories... They should, but the whole iPod/iTunes/iTMS combo has a very good end user experience.
As for me being sick of these iTMS comparisons, all the reviews talk about AAC being some proprietary Apple format. No one talks about FairPlay. They may mean FairPlay and call it AAC, but if they do, THEY need to get their facts straight, and not me. I still stand by the fact that AAC is a patent encumbered OPEN format, while WMA is a MS Proprietary format.
Personally, I would like the iPod and iTunes to add native OGG suppport. I don't think Apple should sell OGG files in the iTMS (because of the need for DRM), but I prefer to rip all my music to OGG. But, you rip to the format your player supports. Before you argue that I could have bought a player that did OGG, the iPod was a gift from my wife, so I did not have the choice.
Wm-9 is a VIDEO CODEC, and not audio. WMA (Windows Media Audio) is most definitely a proprietary Microsoft codec.
I know the record industry requires DRM, but they really shouldn't. I would rather buy a CD and rip it, than deal with DRMed music. Apple did one better, by allowing you to move you DRMed files to another Mac, but it's still DRMed.
Andy
You know, all the reviews pan Apple for providing their songs in a "proprietary" format, which is called AAC. AAC is actually a patent encumbered open standard.
Well, all the other stores, be they MSN Beta, Napster, or buymusic.com all provide songs in WMP format, which I believe is a PROPRIEATRY PATENTED FORMAT, last I checked.
The reason why iTunes and the iPod don't use WMA is because Apple DOES NOT want to give Microsoft a cut every time a Mac or an iPod is sold.
People seem to forget that the iPod and iTunes happily play MP3 files, as well AIFF, and WAV files as well as AAC.
There was also a note about the MP3 decoding chips inside the iPod. The exact same chip is used in a number of other players that are Windows only. That chip will happily decode, MP3s, AACs and WMA files. Apple pays the licensing for AAC, but refuses to pay to license WMA. Well, the makers of the other players don't want to pay Dolby a license to be able to play AAC files, hence why their firmware doesn't use the AAC. They could easily turn on AAC and write a plugin for iTunes and the thing would work with iTunes then (at least the non DRMed stuff).
Since I have an iPod, I started ripping stuff to 192K AAC, but have since switched to 256 VBR Lame MP3 files. My iPod has no issue with these files whatsoever and iTunes plays them happily.
If Apple and Microsoft wanted to use a REAL open standard (just because most PCs ship with WinXP, and WMP is FORCE BUNDLED with them DOES NOT make WMA a standard), they would offer songs in MP3 or Ogg Vorbis format.
First he cracks Fairplay, now this. What's his beef? Apple did not drag him into court. Apple seems to be a good open source neighbor so far.
Remember, most people who run Mozilla, Opera, or any other "alternative browser", have their ID string set to identify them as IE, to prevent certain sites from blocking them. I do this on my corporate intranet site, cause everything except IE is blocked. It's a shame we can't see how many browsers masquerade as IE. Perhaps another bit of Javascript code that identifies the REAL browser, so true statistics can be tracked.
1. I carefully screen my kids daycare to make sure everything there is legal
2. I check my bank to make sure no illegal activities go on there.
3. I make sure my employer does not break any laws
4. I invite no felons into my house to have supper with me
5. I drive a car from a company that never ignored safety in favor of corportate profits (can you say Pinto? I knew you could....)
Why the HELL would I allow a lawbreaking monopolist onto my computer? Enough perjury happened in that damn trial to help pay the national debt!
I have 2 computers, one runs MacOS X and the other runs Fedora Core 1. And that's the way it's staying.
If you're given the hardware for free and be forced to buy a software subscription to Windows in order to GET the hardware, where does that leave Linux. Basically you will be forced to buy an OS you never plan to use. So we should say Gates and McNealy HOPE that hardware will be free, but I doubt we will ever get there.
Software subscriptions also insure constant revenues for software companies. Under the EULA, Office 2003 could just stop to work one day, because you only have a 2 year subscription.
The software subscription world sucks...
Andy
The only way to get around this problem is to use a server that uses Maildir instead of mbox. When I upgraded my Linux box to maildir, everyone was quite happy.
Andy
Novell has never changed hands. Always been it's own company. I guess the big difference now is that Novell MATTERS once again. Woohoo!!!
Is Novell turning out to be a good open source neighbor, or what? I think there is finally a large commercial corporation that "gets it!"
About time.
How long till they open source NetWare and eDirectory?
This would be very nice to see. But I wonder if this is something that may leave the average home user confused.
I believe the ultimate goal of Linux desktops should be to make the computer as easy to use as a Mac.
Andy
Ok, If I wanted to download and install a Linux distro that is relatively modern (Samba 3.0 and such) and I could get pay per incident support, what would you recommend? Because that is what I wanted out of RedHat. I install ISOs of the current version and give them a credit card number should I need help.
I did Atkisn for over a year and lost about 100 pounds on it. The whole time I was monitored by my doctor and my blood chemistry improved DRAMATICALLY. If you've never been on Atkins and have NEVER EVEN read the book, then I would say, SHUT THE HELL UP, before you go and make comments about this diet.
Sure you eat more fat and protein than the average guy, but NOWHERE does Atkins tell you to go and deep fry everything you eat, or cut all veggies out of your diet. And he STRESSES beyond anything else to take vitamin supplements because he says it is an UNBALANCED DIET and you have to get yourself IN BALANCE once you get to your goal weight. That's where you start the maintenance phase.
The hardest part of the diet for any geek would be the complete lack of caffeine on the diet.
An MP3 player than can give me a BSOD and will have IE force bundled with it. Hurray! Where do I sign up?
Well, you would use the PIM that comes with your enterpise mail app. If you have an Exchnage server, you give the user Outlook, if you have GroupWise, you give the user GroupWise. And if you have Domino, you give the user Notes. It's only in the SOHO environment where you'd need a PIM. In the enterprise environment, the PIM is already there waiting for you.
There needs to be a clause that GPLed software cannot be used in a product owned and distributed by a company that is bringing legal action against a company or person that is using or distributing GPLed software. Use of GPLed software in such a manner is punishable by a $100,000 donation to the FSF and having RMS speak at your next company picnic.
Well, we have GnuCash here that is in danger here and it has no way of exporting your data. Now there is a scary thought.
One thing I have to say is that the most important feature for me in a financial app is cross platform use. Because of that, I chose to spend money on Moneydance. It's written in Java and has great support. I run it on my Mac at home on both my Windows and Linux partitions on my laptop.
If you prefer to go the free software route, there is jGnash, whch will also run on various OSes, becuase it's also written in Java.
GnuCash is good product, but it has way too many dependancies and relies way to heavily on Gnome. Because of that, it can't be ported to Windows of MacOS X, even though there are native GTK libraries for both those environments. Perhaps the GnuCash team should focus on making a really good accounting engine and allow others to wrap GUIs of any kind around them.
A personal financial app is very important to the Linux desktop. I think it's far too important for the application to be in jeapordy of disappearing. Perhaps someone like Ximian should add this to their list of software, or the FSF should turn around and get some people coding full time on this with a grant.
Well, there is an Ogg plug in for iTunes now. Since I don't do anything with WMA (and never plan to), WMA is not an issue for me.
The only formats I need to play are MP3, AAC, WAV/AIFF and OGG and iTunes does that for me.
I just wish the iPod would support OGG files. I would then rip everything in OGG format and dump it to my iPod.
I have taken an AAC encoded file on Mac (not one downloaded from the iTMS) and moved it to a PC and used WinAMP to play it.. To get it play in WinAMP, I needed to change the extension to .MP4 or .AAC and then it plays. But it does not display any of the tag information, and no cover art.
Having said that, I find the iTunes experience MUCH better than WinAMP. If you get iTunes for Windows, I would tend to think that won't want to use WinAMP anymore, since iTunes does it all.
One of the big flaws with the DRM on Microsoft's side has been that DRM is locked to the workstation. The iTunes Music Store did away with that, by allowing music to be locked to the person that bought it. You can easily authorize and deauthorize ANY Macintosh anywhere to be able to play your music.
Also, ALL songs on the iTMS have the SAME restrictions: unlimited CD burning. unlimited iPods, and up to 3 Macs. This makes life sooo much easier for the end user. If the end user has to deal with different restrictions on different songs, then eventually they are going to just give up and go back to Kazaa or buy CDs.
Making the life of the end user easy is what Apple has focused on since the first MacOS. Sure, power users may get annoyed with limitations in some of the iApps Apple releases, but in the end the Mac is the only UNIX box on the planet that just about everyone's grandmom could use.
I don't know if anyone read an interview a while back with McBride, but he's claiming 2 other points:
1. ALL modern operating systems are dervied from Sys V UNIX and they may be due royalties from companies like Microsoft and Novell.
2. SCO feels there were errors in the original agreement from Berkely and AT&T and they think they will need to audit all the BSD kernels to make sure no SCO IP was left in those kernels after the AT&T agreement.
So, basically, if you make an OS of any kind whatsoever, you owe SCO royalties.
They're just out of control.
You go WEEKS without rebooting? And you call this a good thing. Are Novell servers go MONTHS without rebooting. Our Solaris boxes have been up a year or longer.
Going WEEKS without rebootingh is pathetic.
Ok, maybe I should say...
The groups of people that download the movie and do not buy the DVD later, still would not buy the DVD even if the download is not available.
Well, the only movies I have downloaded have been porn. And there have been some issues.
While I d/l over broadband, my connection slows down.
The sending server doesn't always stay up and ends up disconnecting me.
There a 2 types that download:
1. Those that saw the movie and want to see it again. This group has paid already so, the MPAA made their money
2. Those that will NEVER pay to see the movie. These people just won't go see it unless they download it.
Either way, the downloaded isn't costing the movie industry anything.